Aminosilica materials as adsorbents for the selective removal of aldehydes and ketones from simulated bio-oil

The fast pyrolysis of biomass is a potential route to the production of liquid biorenewable fuel sources. However, degradation of the bio-oil mixtures due to reaction of oxygenates, such as aldehydes and ketones, reduces the stability of the liquids and can impact long-term storage and shipping. Herein, solid aminosilica adsorbents are described for the selective adsorptive removal of reactive aldehyde and ketone species. Three aminosilica adsorbents are prepared through the reaction of amine-containing silanes with pore-expanded mesoporous silica. A fourth aminosilica adsorbent is prepared through the ring-opening polymerization of aziridine from pore-expanded mesoporous silica. Adsorption experiments with a representative mixture of bio-oil model compounds are presented using each adsorbent at room temperature and 45 °C. The adsorbent comprising only primary amines adsorbs the largest amount of aldehydes and ketones. The overall reactivity of this adsorbent increases with increasing temperature. Additional aldehyde screening experiments show that the reactivity of aldehydes with aminosilicas varies depending on their chemical functionality. Initial attempts to regenerate an aminosilica adsorbent by acid hydrolysis show that they can be at least partially regenerated for further use.